Literacy Resource Centre inaugurated in Sannat, Gozo

The Minister for Education and Employment Evarist Bartolo has inaugurated the Literacy Resource Centre ‘Doris Vella’ at Sannat, Gozo.

The Centre is housed within the Primary School of Sannat premises, and has already a collection of 1,500 literacy and educational resources, including large books, research reference books, graded reading books, and educational games.

The National Literacy Agency procured the resources following consultation with teachers, school administrators and the literacy support team of the Gozo College.

The Centre is open for all teachers and literacy support staff. Animated reading sessions will be held by the National Literacy Agency as part of the family literacy programmes ‘Aqra Mieghi/Read with Me’ and ‘Seher l-Istejjer/The Magic of Stories.’

The Centre is open daily from 8.30am till 5.00pm, except on Wednesdays when it is open from 8.30am till 2.30pm. The Centre is dedicated to Ms Doris Vella, a well-known writer and teacher from Gozo who promoted a love for reading throughout her life.

During the inauguration ceremony, the National Literacy Agency launched the following new literacy resources:

a) ‘Ghanjiet Ferrieha,’ a CD with Maltese songs for children written by Maria Attard, Joan Bugeja, Rita Gatt, Josephine Sammut, Omar Seguna, and M.V. Vassallo, music composed by Joe Brown and sung by Ritianne Azzopardi and Emma Turner Brown;

b) ‘Xindi x-Xadin,’ a reading and comprehension book for struggling readers, written by Michelle Zarb and illustrated by Sue Flask;

c) ‘Id-Dar Tieghi,’ a book that promotes observation and writing skills, written by Erika Medati and illustrated by Lorraine Dimech;

d) ‘L-Avventura tal-Kometa Halley,’ a non-fiction large book by Sharon Camilleri Magro;

e) ‘Ella u l-Frott,’ a big book written by the author Sherise Bugeja, and illustrated by Noemie Gionet Landry;

f) ‘Gola u l-Bieb Magiku,’ a large book produced by Christina Farrugia, Rebecca Scerri and Sue Flask;

g) Two packs of flashcards about numbers, adjectives and colours in Maltese by Marie Claire Zammit u Maria Schembri;

h) Five animations, ‘Ix-Xita, ‘L-Iskola,’ ‘Il-Qattus’, ‘Il-Gungla,’ u ‘Kollox sewwa;’ the first three produced by Matthew Stroud, and the other two by Patricia Formosa and Mary Anne Zammit respectively.

The Literacy Resource Centre was set up by the Ministry for Education and Employment, in collaboration with the National Literacy Agency, the Gozo College, and the Senior Management team of Sannat Primary School.

The resources will be available at the Centre, and the Agency will distribute them for free to all primary state schools and Kindergarten Centres.